Cap



Feb. 3, 1925 1,525,115

c. E. BEI-4M CAP Filed Sept. 5. 1924 Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

@MTE STATES GHARLEY E. BEIIM, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

CAP. p

Application filed September To ail whomy t may concern:

Be it known that l, @HARLEY E. BEHM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of rlloledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Cap, which invention is fully described in the following specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a self-sizing cap that will automatically adjust itself to the size of the wearers head and thus may be used by any one of a large number of wearers of caps. The invention thus provides a cap that may be sold to a class of cap wearersthat is much larger i than caps having fixed sizes.

In certain specific embodiments of my invention slits .are formed at opposite ends of the visors in the body portions of the caps'and elastic means that extend across the front of the cap are connected to the edges of the slits farther from the centers of the visors and means is provided for yieldingly resisting, to a certain extent, the return of the elastic means when the size that fits has been produced, by the placementv of the cap on the head of the wearer. Consequently the cap maintains the size to which it is thus automatically set. The 1 invention, however, may beY contained in a great varity of formsrof head wear and the details of the preferred embodiment of the invention may be greatly varied and still be within the purview of the claims hereinafter appended.

To illustrate a practical application of the invention I have selected a cap of the type commonly used as an outdoor cap for men, and shalldescribe it hereinafter. r[he Y cap selected as an example of embodiments of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. 1

Figure 1 of the drawings illustra-te a perspective view of a preferred form of a cap containing my invention, with the forward overhanging portion of the body of the cap released from the visor and raised to show the front exterior semi-band. Figure 2 illustrates the cap showing the overhang of the. body portion secured to the visor. Figure is a view of a fragmentary part of the cap to show one of the slits that are formed at the ends of the visor. Figure 4 shows the adjoining end portions of the external semiband. TFigure 5 shows the position of the ends of the bands separated to increase the size of the cap.` Figure 6 is a View of a 5, 1924. Serial No. 736,011.

section of an end portion take-n on the line 6-6 indicated in Fig. 4.

The invention is shown as being embodied in a type of cap commonly in vogue. The body portion of the cap 1 has a forward overhanging portion 2 that is secured to the visor 3 by means of the snap button 4, in the manner well known. Adecorative semi-band 5 extends across the front portion of the cap. This also is quite a common feature of the capsnow usually worn.

The cap 1 is provided with slits 6 that are located at the'ends ofthe visor, that extend into the body portion 1 of the cap. flhe exterior decorative. band 5 is divided into two parts, each of which extends from a slit to the front of the cap. Decorative straps 7 are located at the sides near the slits and so as to be slightly exposed to View even though the-overhanging portions 2 of the .body of the cap is secured to the visor by means of the button'4. The ends of the semieband 5 are secured to the side edges 8 of the slits 6 that are more remote from the visor, andthus these end portions of the semi-band 5 extend across the slits to the center of the front of the cap. The edges 8 extend preferably substantially at right angles to the edge of the body portion of the cap, and curve away from the upper edge or corner of the semi-band 5. The other edge 9 of each slit preferably curves up into the body portion of the cap 1 along an ogee' line to the end of the other edge 8.

The two parts 10 of the band preferably meet at the front of the cap and at the center of the visor. A flexible thick core or elongated member such as.l the cord 11 extendsthrough the ends of the parts of the band and a pair of springs 12 are located on the cord and are secured to the ends of the cord at the outer ends of the springs. This may bel done by producing a closer wind of the coils of the springs on the ends of the cords, as at 13, the remaining portions of the springs being freely though elastioally movable over the intermediate portions of the cord. The springs 12 are also formed with ends that have closely positioned spirals 14 that form a means for easy engagement by the cloth of which the decorative band 5 is formed. The ends of the portions of the band 5 are secured to the end portions 14 of the springs. This may be done by forming a small opening, the edges of which may be suitably reinforced by the heme that are cord and springs thus form an elastic flexible' means for drawing the ends ot' the portions of the bands toY the center of the'cap at the Jfront and to draw the farther edges 8 of the slits over the edges 9 ot the slits.

The construction is suchthat when the cap placed in position on the head, the slits will be readily forced towards an open position and'separate to a more or less ex Ytent, the inner ends of the portions o'f the band 5, though this movement is yieldingly,

resisted by the springs l2. Thus the cap will be selt adjustable'to' any size wit-hin the permissible limitations of 'the'slits G. If desired, this size that islthus formed by placing the cap on the head maybe caused to be retained by a means that yieldingly resists the return oit the springs and consequently the return ot the ends oit the portions of the semi-band 5. Such means would comprise the straps 7 that aresecuiedY to the'body portion ot the cap and which may be more or less closely placed about the portions of the semi-band 5. Also the securing of the overhanging forward portion 2 ot the body of the rap to the visor cooperates to resist the return of the s Jrings. These parts being made of cloth, the riction between them will lbe exceedingly large so that if they are interengaged to a material extent the 'friction will prevent to a large extent relative movement of the parts. rlhus when the slits are openedl or their edges moved to a more or less extent by placement et the cap on the head of the wearer, the cap will retain its size unless of course it is shaken so that the springs will have opportunity to cause the return of the parts to produce the smaller size. Another advantage in the use of the cap that the backot the cap may be positioned around the occipital of the head or it may be drawn down so to be placed over slightly above the top of the neck, and the cap will readily adjust itself to thediliierent sizes.

vI claim il. In a cap or the like having slits extend# ingfrom its edge, a band member extending across the slits and connected tothe cap at its "ends and having two parts having juxta posed`ends,'an elongated member extending through the ends of the said parts, springs connected to the ends'of the said elongated member and the ends of the said parts and located in the said parts for pushing the adjoining ends ot the parts toward each other. i 2. In a capi or-the like having slits extending from its edge, a band member extending lacross the slits and connected tothe cap at its ends and having two parts having juxtaposed ends, an elongated member located in the said partsrand elasticmembers connected to the elongated member and towthe said parts 'for yieldingly maintaining the adjoining ends of the said partsin contact with each other. i i i e 3. In a cap having a visor, slits extending Yfrom the edge ot the body. of the cap and located at the ends of the visor, a two-part band extending across the slits and secured to the body of the cap at its ends, and having juxtaposed ends, .a core extending throughy the adjoining ends of the parts vof the band,

springs secured to the ends of the corerand located within the end positions 'of the said parts and connected to the ends ot the said parts to press tliefends toward each other.

4i. In a cap orthe like having rslit-s vextending 'lrom its edge, a-band member extending across the slits and connected tothe cap atl itsends and having two parts having juxtaposed ends, an Velongated)member located in the said parts and springsconnected -to VVthe elongated member andto the said parts for yieldingly maintaining the adjoining-ends of the said parts incontact with -each other,

straps surrounding the said parts of the band and onnected tothe cap and coactingtherewith for frictionally resisting the return iot the ends of the band toward each other by the springs.

the visor, the cap Ahaving slits extending trom its edge and located at the opposite ends oi. the visor, a band member extending across the slits and connected yto thecap at its ends and located between the visor and*y the said part extending, over the ivisor, and

formed' of two parts having juxtaposed ends,

CHARLEY E. BEHM.

` i i In a cap havinga visor, the body porf. tion of the cap having a part extending over. 

